Apparatus



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. v J. P. COLEMAN. SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 590,300. Patented Sept. 21,1807.

Att'y.

AMA/W.

(No Model.)

4 SheetsSheet 2.

J. P. COLEMAN.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 590,300. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

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Att'y.

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(N0 Modem 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. P; COLEMAN SIGNALING APPARATUS. No. 590,300. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

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WITNESSES: INVINTOR.

we KM (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

J. P. COLEMAN. SIGNALING APPARATUS.

No. 590,300. Patented Sept. 21,1897.

FIG. 5.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J OIIN PRESSLEY COLEMAN, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SIVITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

SIGNALING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,300, dated September 21, 1897.

Application filed April 24:, 1897. Serial No. 633,621. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.- its movement by a grooved roller 9, loosely Be it known that I, JOHN PRESSLEY COLE- journaled in bearings depending from the MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing under side of the base-plate l, which supports at Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny and the bearings, said bearings being so arranged State of Pennsylvania, have invented or diswith reference to the line of movement of the covered certain new and useful Improvements frame that the arms 3 of the latter will move in Signaling Apparatus, of which improvein a groove on opposite sides of the roller 0. ments the following is a specification. Bars 10 are secured at their lower ends to the The invention described herein relates to frame 2, while their upper ends support the 10 certain improvements in mechanism for auplate 11. On this plate are secured the magtomaticallyoperatingsignals, especiallythose nets 12, having'their upper ends secured in of the semaphore type, and has for its object the spectacle frame or plate 13. The armaa construction and arrangement of mechanture 14; of the magnets 12 is secured to a ism whereby the signal will, when released spring-arm 15, which in turn is attached to a I 5 by the presence of a train on the block conbent lever 16, pivotally mounted on suitable trolled thereby, go to danger position and lugs projecting up from plate 13 and having whereby the mechanism for setting the signal a weight 16 attached thereto in suchmanner to danger will be automatically put into that it will shiftthe armature, when free to operation to shift the signal to safety position move, and the spring-arm 15 away from the 20 on the movement of the train off of the trackmagnets. section. The free end of the arm 15 is provided with Y The invention is hereinafter more fully dea shoulder adapted to engage a projection 17 scribed and claimed. on the arm 18, which is pivotally mounted In the accompanying drawings, forming a in suitable bearings on the plate 11. The

25 part of the specification, Figure 1 is a view, signal-rod 19, which is connected to a signalpartly in elevation, of my improved mechanblade having a bias to danger position, passes ism for shifting and controlling the signal, through suitable openings in the plates 11 its several parts being shown in the posiand 13 and has pivotally mounted thereon a tions they will occupy when the signal is at swinging dog 20, provided with a shoulder or 30 safety. Fig.2isasimilarviewshowing the projection 21, preferably in the form of an parts in the positions they will occupy when antifriction-roller. The plate or dog is so the shifting mechanism has completed a pormounted and held in a slot in the signal-bar tion of its movement to shift the signal to by a spring 20 that the projection or shoulsafety position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of der 21 will project laterally into the line of 3 5 the several parts of the mechanism, being in movement of a catch 22, loosely mounted on the same positions asin Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a secthe plate 13 and provided with a shoulder or tional plan view, the plane of section being projection 23, adapted to engage the shoulder indicated by the line IV IV, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 or projection 21 on the plate or dog 20. The is a diagrammatic view illustrative of the cirshoulders or projections on the plate 20 and 4O cuits and theconstructionof controlling-magcatch 22 are normally held in engagement 9o nets which are preferably employed, and Fig. with each other by the arm or latch 18, bear- 6 is a similar view showing a modified aring against the catch 22, preferably through rangernent of the circuits. the medium of the spring 24, as clearly shown In the practice of my invention a frame 2, in Fig. 2. When the arm or latch 18 is re- 45 provided with a horizontal slot and downleased by the upward movement of the arma- 5 wardly-projectin g arms 3, is supported upon ture 14, the latch will drop, it being weighted and shifted by a friction-roller 4 on the pin so as to have a bias to move away from the of the crank-arm 5, which is secured to the catch 22, thereby releasing the same and pershaft 6, preferably mounted in antifrictionmitting it to swing out of engagement With 5o bearings 7 and 8. The frame 2 is guided in the plate or dog 20. Disengagement of the I. I ll-l r I catch 22 and plate will permit the signalrod 19 to drop and the signal to go to danger.

As clearly shown, the shaft 6, carrying the crank-arm 5, is connected by a suitable train of gearing to the armature-shaft 25 of the motor 26, so that by the operation of said motor the crank 5 will be rotated to raise and lower the frame 2 and the parts carried thereby, as hereinafter described. In order to check the movement of the motor when the signal has been shifted to safety position, a brake-drum 26 is secured on the armatureshaft 25, and suitable brake-shoes 27 are secured upon arms 28, which are pivotally supported by a bracket 29, projecting up from the motor-frame. The arms 28 are drawn toward each other and against the drum to apply the brake by means of a spring 30, connected at its ends to said arms. The separation of the arms to release the motor is effected by means of a lever 31, which is connected by a link 32 to the inner ends of links 33, which have their outer ends pivotally connected to the arms 28.

It will be readily understood that by raising the lever 31 the links 33 are brought into line with each other, thereby separating the arms 28 and pnllin g the shoes away from the brake-drum. Then the lever 31 is pulled down or so shifted that its point of connection with the links 33 is below or out of line with the points of connection of said links with the arms 28, the spring will pull the arms 28 toward each other, forcing the links 33 farther out of line with each other.

In order to insure an equal movement of both arms 28 away from the brake-drum, one of said arms is provided at its lower end with prongs 34, between which a shoulder or projection preferably in the form of an antifriction-roller 35 on the lever 31, will pass as the lever is raised to move the arms outwardly.

It will be readily understood that as the movement of one of the arms 28 away from the drum is fixed by the engagement of the projection 35 with the prongs 34 and as such controlled movement is approximately equal to half the combined movements of the arms 28 the other arm will move an equal distance away from the brake-drum. The lever 31 is shifted to apply the brakes by a lever 36, which is pivotally mounted independent of the lever 31, but in such relation thereto that a finger 37 thereon will be held against the under side of the lever 31 by a spring-38, secured on the lever 31 and bearing at its free end upon the lever 36 or a projection therefrom. This lever 36 is provided, as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 4, with a lateral projection 39, which will lie in the path of movement of the pin 40, projecting from the pin of the crank-arm 5, so that during the movement of the crank, as hereinafter described, the pin 40 will strike against the projection 39 of the lever 36, raising the latter, and by means of the spring 38 will force the lever 31 downward sufficiently far to bring the point of junction of the links 32 and below the point of junction of the links 33 with the arms 28, thereby permitting the spring 30 to apply the brakes.

In order to release the brakes, a lever 41 is pivotally mounted in such relation to the lever 31 that a toe 42 on the lever 41 will project under the lever 31. The outer end of the lever 41 is connected bya rod 43 with the signal-rod 19, so that when the signal-rod drops the lever 41 will be so shifted that the toeor finger 42 thereon will bear against the under side of the lever 31 and force it upward and the links 33 into alinement with each other to shift the brake-shoes away from the drum.

In describing the operation of my improved mechanism it will be supposed that the parts are in the posit-ions shown in Fig. 1, the signal being at safety. On the entrance of a train upon the track-section controlled by the signal a track-relay which may be formed in part by the magnet 12 is short-circuited, thereby-deenergizing the magnet 12 and permitting the spring-arm 15 to be raised by the weight 16. By this movement of the arm 15 the latch 18 is released and the circuit of the motor which is formed in part by the springarms I) and c, secured on the plate 13 and lever 16, respectively, is also broken. The releasing of the latch permits it to fall, thereby releasing the catch 22, so that it can be forced outward by the weight of the signal-rod 19, thereby permitting the latter to move down and the signal to go to danger. By the downward movement of the rod 19 the lever 41 is shifted so as to bring its toe 42 against the lever 31, raising the latter and thereby through the medium of the links 33 forcing the brake-arms 28 outwardly and releasing the brake-drum of the motor. This outward movement of the brake arms forces the spring-arms 44, secured to but insulated from the brake-arms, together, thereby closing. at that point the motor-circuit, which is formed in part by the springs 44. The motor, however, cannot operate until the spring-arm 15 is drawn down, so as to bring the springs b and 0 into contact with each other by the energizing of the magnet 12, said spring-arm being held in raised position by the weight 17.

As the signal-rod 19 moves down its lower end will strike the spring extension 45 on the latch 18, thereby forcing the latch up to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2. While the signal is at danger and the rod down and the frame up, the lower end of the rod will bear against the spring extension 45 and thereby hold the latch with a capacity of spring movement in normal position-2'. e., such position as will force the catch 22 into the line of movement of the projection 21 of the plate 20 on a signal-rod and in such position that the spring-arm 15 will engage projection 17 on the latch as soon as the magnet'12 is energized and before the frame is lowered. As soon as the train passes off the track-section the magnet 12 will become energized, thereby shifting the arm 15 and closing the motor-circuit. By the operation of the motor the crank-arm 5 is shifted in the direction of the arrow a from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position shown in Fig.2,o'r,in other words,through an arc of one hundred and eighty degrees, more orless. By this movement of the crankarm the frame 2 is drawn down and with it the plates 11 and 13 and the parts carried thereby. During this movement of the frame the catch 22 is moved down below the shoulder 21 of the plate 20, the upper end of the catch, swinging back, compressing the spring 24:. As soon as the shoulder 23 passes below the shoulder 21 the catch will spring back to normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, the shoulder passing under the shoulder 21. As the motor continues to rotate, the crank 5 will continue to move in thedirection of the arrow, thereby raising the frame 2, the parts carried by the plates 11 and 13, and the signalrod 19, the latter moving up by reason of the engagement of the shoulders 21 and 23. As the crank-pin approaches the position shown in Fig. 1 the pin 10 will strike the projection 39 on the lever 36, thereby raising said lever, which in turn, operating through the medium of the spring 38, will force the lever 31 downward a sufficient distance to bring the links 33 at an angle to each other, thereby permitting the spring to snap the brake-shoes onto the drum and stop the motor. Simultaneous with the movement of the shoes against the drum the motor-circuit is broken by the separation of the springs 44.

It might occur thatatrain would enter onto the track-section while the pin is in engagement with the projection 39 of lever 36, so that the signal-rod 19 will drop and shift the levers 41 and 31 against the action of the lever 36. Such opposite movements would not, however, injure the mechanism, as aresult of the upward movement of the lever 31 by the pin 40 while the lever 41 is being depressed would simply further fleX the spring 38.

In order to provide for proper lubrication of the commutator, an arm 46 is attached to one of the arms 28, and to the outer end of this arm 46 is attached a piece of felt or other suitable material which can be kept suitably saturated with oil and is forced whenever the spring-arms are moved toward the drum against the commutator.

It is sometimes desirable to employ the same battery for operating the motor and for energizing the magnet, as 12, controlling the connection between the signal or other part or appliance to be shifted and the'operatingmotor, and in such case it is desirable to compensate for the drop of potential in the magnet due to the partialshunting of the magnetcoil in starting and operating the motor. To this end the magnet is formed in part by a resistance coil l8. The low-resistance coil is connected in series with the motor, while the high-resistance coil is arranged in a shunt around the motor. As shown in Fig. 5, when the make-and-break mechanism of the motorcircuit controlled by the track-relay or other circuit-closer is closed and the make-andbreak mechanism controlled by the motor is open the current will flow through the highresistance coil, but when the make-and-break mechanism formed by the springs 44 is closed the current will also flow to the motor through the low-resistance coil of the magnet 12, which will then compensate for loss of magnetic force which would result if the current had to pass through an ordinary high resistance.

In Fig. 6 is shown the arrangement of circuits for operating overlap-signals in connection with the compound-wound magnet. In this case the motor and slot-magnet circuit includes the armature of a relay 49, which is included in a circuit formed in part by the armatures 50 and 51 of track-relays 52 and 53 of the adjacent track-sections cc and y, so that the signal-motor and slot-magnet circuit will be broken by the entrance of a train on section a: and will be held open until it has passed off of section y.

In order to relieve the motor of a portion of the weight of the frame when clearing the signal, a weight 5% is connected by a rope or other flexible means 55 to the frame, said rope passing over a stationary pulley 56.

It will be observed that the weight is lifted by the movement of the crank when lowering the frame to a position where the signalrod can be locked to the frame and that the weight will be operative to assist in clearing the signal during the latter portion of the movement of the crank.

I claim herein as my invention- 1. In a signaling apparatus, the combination of a signal having a bias to danger, an electric motor for operating the signal, and an electrically-controlled connection between the signal and motor, a brake for stopping the motor and adapted to be shifted to operative position by a motor-actuated part on a predetermined movement of the motor, said part being independent of the connections between the signal and the motor, and connections between signal and brake, whereby the latter may be released on a movement of the signal to danger, substantially as set' forth.

2. In asignal apparatus, the combination of a signal having a bias to danger, an electric motor, electrically-controlled connections between the signal and motor, a brake, a springlever adapted to be shifted by the motor to apply the brake and a lever adapted to be shifted by the signal to release the brake, V

substantially as set forth.

3. In a signal apparatus, the combination of a signal having a bias to danger, an electric' motor, electrically-controlled connections below-resistance coil 47 and in part by a highi tween the signal and motor, a make-andbreak mechanism in the motor-circuit, a

spring-lever adapted to be shifted by the motor to open the makeand-break mechanism and a separate lever adapted to be shifted by-the signal to close the make-and-break mechanism, substantially as set forth.

4. In asignal apparatus, the combination of a signal having a bias to danger, an electric motor, a slot mechanism connecting the motor and signal, a magnet having high and low resistance coils, a generator common to the magnet and motor, the high-resistance coil of the magnet being in a shunt around the motor, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of a part or appliance JOHN PRESSLEY COLEMAN.

\Vitn esses:

DARWIN S. WoLooTT, F. E. GAITHER. 

